Rajiv's POV
It was a struggle to maintain my composure when I witnessed Akash's gesture, his hands cradling Anita's face with affection.
Jealousy coursed through me because it should have been me showering her with such tenderness.
But after he revealed he had wanted to end our contract long ago but was persuaded by her not to, telling him she wanted to continue working with me, it gave me more hope. It means she hasn't yet swayed from our traditions, which still pulls her back to me.
My employees approached me and spoke cheerfully, "Good morning, sir!" They chimed in unison.
I acknowledged them with a curt nod, my mind still reeling from the earlier scene of her and Akash.
"I'll be out for a while," I instructed, my voice firm but distracted. "Handle everything on your own." With that, I reverted to my car.
I glanced at my phone, which I had left in there, and saw that my mother was calling.
One silver lining is that my grandmother is finally out of our lives, and my mother would no longer have to live in fear of her.
I couldn't bring myself to have her arrested due to family obligations, but I didn't have her arrested, so I also wouldn't be the one to bail her out. She caused it for herself.
When my mother called again, I answered promptly. "Yes, Mother?"
"Bring your grandmother back," she said. "Her priest is here. They've planned a veneration ceremony, so he's waiting for her."
I hesitated for a moment before responding, "I'm coming home now." With that, I hung up and began the journey back, my mind juggling with thoughts of how she would react when she finds out she has been arrested."
****
I arrived home and entered the hall, where I was greeted by an unexpected gathering.
Anita's father sat comfortably on the couch, while my mother stood in a corner, her eyes matching mine.
The priest was busy arranging items for the veneration ceremony in another corner of the room.
While I approached, Anita's father caught my eye, and he boomed out a warm greeting, "My able son-in-law!" He beckoned me over with a gentle wave of his hand.
I smiled and approached him, touching his feet in a gesture of respect, seeking his blessings.
He placed his hand on my head, his eyes twinkling with adoration, and said, "May you be blessed with a fruitful life!"
As I pulled back, my mother's voice cut through the moment, her tone filled with urgency. "And your grandmother? Where is she?" she asked, her eyes darting towards me and then to the door.
I took a deep breath and delivered the news, "She's in jail."
Her eyes widened in shock, her voice rising in disbelief. "What! How could that be?"
Divya, who had been descending the stairs, responded in a satisfied tone, "Thank God. She deserved it. At least I won't be woken up early tomorrow morning."
Anita's father, however, looked perplexed. "Jail? How did she end up there?"
My mother's voice rose slightly, nudging me to explain, "Tell him, son! Answer him!"
I began to speak, "We went to Anita's restaurant."
But her father cut me off, his tone renasing with disbelief, "Anita owns a restaurant?"
I nodded. "We went to her restaurant, and then she slapped her. The man she lives with had her arrested for abuse."
His expression darkened, and his voice rose in anger. "She lives with a man?" He stormed up, his eyes shimmering with rage.
I nodded again, and he exploded, "So she got your grandmother arrested because of a stupid slap? Who does she think she is that she can't be slapped?"
"Let's not have this discussion now, please." mother whispered. Â "Son, go and bail your grandmother out of jail."
I feigned helplessness, shrugging my shoulders. "I wish I could, but it's not possible."
"Why!" her father thundered, his face red with rage.
"The person who pressed charges has to drop them first." I explained.
"Then, take me to my daughter," he growled, his teeth clenched. "I'd like to see if she'll have me arrested too when I give her an array of slaps!"
"Father, you just arrived. Please, have some rest." I attempted to calm him down, but my mother cut in, her voice firm, "Son, your grandmother is in jail. What rest?"
I sighed, knowing she wouldn't be at peace until grandmother was back home.
"Fine, let's go," I relented.
I just hope grandmother has learnt her lesson. I hope she realises she can't just slap people whenever she pleases. It's a hard lesson to learn, but hopefully this humbling experience will teach her to control her temper.
****
I pulled into the parking lot, my gaze staring at Akash's car, which is still parked in the same spot.
I let out a deep sigh, and her father's voice broke the silence: "I can't fathom how she managed to put together the money to buy a restaurant. We're not rich, and neither were our ancestors. She must have slept....." He started, his implication clear.
"She said she didn't," I replied, trying to defend her honour and save her from his wrath as we stepped into the elevator.
"Ha! She's my daughter, so I know her very well. She's definitely lying to you. Mark my words, she's been involved with that man... intimately," he growled, his anger escalating as the elevator doors opened onto the top floor of the restaurant.
"Today, I'll teach her a lesson she'll never forget. If I don't, I'll never be able to call myself a man again!" he thundered.
"Hey!" he yelled loudly, garnering her attention.
They were in the midst of a conversation with her partners, whom I had met with on our first encounter, along with Akash.
Her eyes widened in horror when she saw me standing beside her father.
She leapt up from the carpet where they were seated, and her lips trembled as she whispered, "Father!"
"You wretched child! May you be cursed throughout your miserable life!" He howled, his hand raised to strike her, but Akash immediately stood up and blocked her behind him.
"Who are you?" he asked firmly, his eyes scanning her father from head to toe.
"Who are you?" Her father yelled back, his gaze piercing at him with contempt.
"Her best friend!" he said simply.
He erupted into laughter, then sneered, "Best friend? Didn't she tell you she's not allowed to even speak with the opposite gender unless he's her husband? Move out of my way, and I'll set her straight again!"
Akash's anger escalated, and he bellowed, "Get out of here before I lose my temper, or neither you nor the man who brought you will leave without a night in prison!" he threatened.
I intervened, "Just what do you think of yourself, Akash? He's her father. Show some respect."
He retorted, "Respect is not given; it's earned. Especially mine." He glanced briefly at me before adding, "And I'm very serious."
One of her partners, concerned, asked, "What's happening?"
"Are these the men you've gotten involved with? So, tell me, Anita, did the illusion of the world blind you so much that you slept with how many men? One, two, three." He started counting, pointing accusingly at each of them.
She burst into sobs, whispering, "I didn't sleep with anyone; I didn't!"
He cut her off, his voice rising in anger. "You did! I'm your father; I know you too well. You slept with..."
"You've never understood me, Father. You've never tried to get to know me. Don't jump to conclusions." She tried to defend herself, but he didn't let her finish, yelling again.
"Silence! Never call me your father again, because I know I couldn't have given birth to a disobedient child like you!"
"Certainly!" Akash replied, his voice firm. "I promise you, she'll never call you father again, not because you asked her to, but because you don't deserve to be called one!"
Her father's eyes blazed with rage and hatred as he stared deeply into his eyes.
"Anita, go and withdraw the complaint you filed against your husband's grandmother at once!" He growled through gritted teeth, his gaze still fixed on Akash.
"And return home immediately!" he added.
"I had her arrested, and I'm not planning to release her anytime soon!" Akash snarled, his eyes darkening with anger.
"Anita!" her father called out, but she remained silent.
"Anita!" he roared, stamping his foot, and I saw her flinch at the outburst.
"It's abuse," she whispered, her voice trembling. "She slapped me for no reason. You slapped me for no reason. You punished me for no reason." Tears streamed down her face as she recounted, her voice cracking with each word.
Her father responded with a callous and cruel voice, "If you weren't married, I would have burned you alive for straying too. But I'm letting you live because of your husband. Fall at his feet and thank him."
Her eyes flashed with anger, and she mumbled, "Move, Akash," she whispered, and he stepped aside quietly, his eyes filled with concern.
She confronted her father, wiping away her earlier tears and facing him with a fierce gaze.
"I want to tell you something I never had the courage to say," she began, her voice trembling, but her words were cut short by the sting of his slap on her cheek.
The sound echoed through the air, and she closed her eyes, wincing in pain, as tears pricked at the corners.
Akash moved, his face red with anger, and yelled, "Hey!" as he charged at her father, but her urgent gesture stopped him in his tracks.
"Something I never gathered the courage to tell you..." she continued, her voice barely above a whisper, as she gazed up at him again.
He raised his hand again, but she caught it, her eyes holding his gaze, and said, "If I could change who my father would be, I would chose anyone, anyone at all, but never you again."
"I want to tell you what Mother would want to say too. If she could change one thing, it would be to free herself from your torment," she added.
His face twisted in anger, and he growled, "Mind how you speak to me. I am your father."
She shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "You're not my father. You've never been. Mother told me the truth—that I was conceived by rape. You raped her. You're a rapist!"
As she spoke, her gaze darted around the room to the others who were watching in horror.
Her father's anger boiled over, and he slapped her again, his hand stinging her cheek. "I told you to mind how you speak to me! Who are you to look me in the eye and say such things?"
"Anita, just Anita," she replied. "I'm the child you've tortured and abused, but I'm not afraid of you anymore. I've come a long way, even without money. I don't have a single penny on me today, but I still feel proud of myself. I won't go back to Rajiv, and I won't return home to be tortured again. I'd rather be homeless and penniless for the rest of my life than lose my freedom. I want to make my own decisions, think with my own brain, and have my own opinions."
Her father laughed condescendingly. "Really? Do you think the world will accept you without a surname? I'm doing you a favour by giving you my name. It's a debt you can never repay."
Akash started to speak, his voice gentle. "Though I know you're capable of being on your own, Anita, I want you to know that you can always be Anita Akash Kapoor if you want. I don't mind giving you my last name."
She turned to him, her eyes brimming with tears and a smile. She shook her head, her voice filled with emotion. "You've done enough already, Akash. I don't want others questioning my purity anymore. I don't want the restaurant or any shortcuts. I want to work hard for myself and make a name for myself. Thank you for everything, but I need to do this on my own."
"And," she paused, clearing her throat. "I'm not going home with you. I'll find work and make a life for myself. But please, let his grandmother go. Please," she added, her voice cracking at the end.
His face contorted in panic and tension. "What are you saying?" he exclaimed, his voice ascending in desperation.
She stretched out her phone, her hand trembling. "You gave me this, but I don't want anything from you anymore!"
He whispered, "Please don't do this, Anita."
Her partners also spoke up, their voices filled with support. "Yes, Anita, we stand with you. What others say about you is pointless. We know our relationship is genuine and pure. We consider you our sister, and we don't care what others think."
"Thank you, everyone, but I need to go where no one will ever find me," she whispered.
With that, she turned and ran out of the room, leaving a stunned silence behind.
Akash too, his face etched with tension, sprinted after her.
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